Thursday, July 20, 2017

Supercars 17 - Sandown R19

Our first endurance race of the season took place at Sandown last week. Things were looking good through practice as everyone was more or less getting to grips with the track. Qualifying was in the shade and lead to Gurton Buster on the pole and everyone else well back through the field.

After a mulligan, we got going in a big pile of smoke.

Buster mostly tore away with only Whincup in tow. The first lap was a little hair-raising while he leaned heavily on cold tires in the first turns.

Several places back, I got into Winterbottom on the back half of the course as he checked up early.

I can't say I'm too sad about the results.

My good driving would be rewarded with a slight lockup and touch from Lowndes, sending me off into the gravel and dropping me nearly to last.

Then, as I was catching Webster, there was contact from a poor read of the braking zone and he was sideways. To my credit, I did set him back right again.

I then carried on not giving too much room to the competition around me as I slugged back up the order.

Zack's miseries would continue after some touchy conditions when Whincup felt the need to dump him at turn one.

And then Sandy later down the backstretch.

They nearly came together a second and third time after rejoining.

As the race wound on past the first set of stops, Sandy had his second major run in with Scott McGlaughlin.

Just behind them, Lee Holdsworth was coming out of the pits right into the side of Caruso.

He then joined the car park out in the litter.

Coming out of my first stop for the race and Tim Slade pulled the exact same move on me, ruining new tires and dropping me back some more.

Further along, Will Davidson was getting around Zack Webster, who at this point had lost 3rd and 4th gears. He showed little regard for the Webster's situation.

When I caught Slade, there was a small rubbing as I moved to pass, although this was somewhat of an extreme reaction. Seriously, I barely tapped him. REALLY!

Getting through the second set of stops around lap thirty, Darrel was coming out and also had re-entry trouble. As he and the Volvo got together, Hamilton lost a tire.

While trying to limp back to the pits, he was a sitting duck as the leaders caught him.

Unable to provide room and take the corner with his damage, he stuck it out in the dirt and called it there.

Zack would suffer a similar fate as his care was too distraught and down in laps to make up positions. It's really too bad as he was doing a great job with lap times, even with half a transmission. Oh well, at least he had his Eldora.

With about five to go, I was around Tim Slade again and we got together while I was moving past on the back stretch.

It seemed like he'd spin harmlessly but he managed to hit me on the rotation, sending me to the outside wall...

...and smashing into the tire barriers as he somehow recovered and went on for a top ten. My car would go for another lap before dying completely, trading a second place finish for a DNF. This will not be forgotten.

And adding to his already long list of wins, Gurton Buster takes yet another, leisurely checkered flag in first, rounding out the worst averaging finishing race for the league contenders.

We'll be off for two weeks before heading to Bathurst for the second endurance round of the season. Hopefully it turns out better for the human competitors. Although it's the toughest and longest track on the calendar so...probably not. But at least it has a view.

Race 1

Track: Sandown Park National Circuit

Session: Practice

P	#	DRIVER	TIME
1	008	J Zolecki	1:04.197
2	013	T Nadz	1:04.559
3	14	F Coulthard	1:04.966
4	6	C Mostert	1:05.037
5	1	J Whincup	1:05.173
6	9	W Davison	1:05.186
7	888	C Lowndes	1:05.290
8	5	M Winterbottom	1:05.312
9	2	G Tander	1:05.600
10	8	J Bright	1:05.655
11	97	S Van Gisbergen	1:05.818
12	15	R Kelly	1:05.831
13	16	S Pye	1:05.864
14	33	S McLaughlin	1:05.954
15	023	Z Webster	1:06.052
16	21	D Wood	1:06.052
17	47	T Slade	1:06.081
18	55	D Reynolds	1:06.095
19	222	N Percat	1:06.269
20	18	J Perkins	1:06.311
21	22	J Courtney	1:06.417
22	360	J Moffat	1:06.423
23	23	R Ingall	1:06.532
24	4	L Holdsworth	1:06.724
25	17	D Wall	1:06.788
26	061	D Hamilton	1:06.890
27	34	R Dahlgren	1:07.033
28	7	T Kelly	1:07.102
29	36	M Caruso	1:07.381
30	021	T Bear	1:07.860

Weather: Clear, 52 °F, South 3 mph

Session: Qualifying

P	#	DRIVER	TIME
1	008	J Zolecki	1:03.852
2	1	J Whincup	1:03.940
3	888	C Lowndes	1:04.283
4	9	W Davison	1:04.330
5	6	C Mostert	1:04.482
6	5	M Winterbottom	1:04.517
7	8	J Bright	1:04.586
8	97	S Van Gisbergen	1:04.681
9	013	T Nadz	1:04.761
10	14	F Coulthard	1:04.771
11	21	D Wood	1:04.835
12	55	D Reynolds	1:05.041
13	2	G Tander	1:05.090
14	15	R Kelly	1:05.161
15	16	S Pye	1:05.479
16	33	S McLaughlin	1:05.648
17	18	J Perkins	1:05.773
18	47	T Slade	1:05.786
19	222	N Percat	1:05.814
20	22	J Courtney	1:05.971
21	360	J Moffat	1:06.022
22	4	L Holdsworth	1:06.103
23	23	R Ingall	1:06.175
24	7	T Kelly	1:06.531
25	17	D Wall	1:06.579
26	36	M Caruso	1:06.848
27	023	Z Webster	1:07.099
28	34	R Dahlgren	1:07.316
29	021	T Bear	--
30	061	D Hamilton	--

Weather: Cloudy, 52 °F, North 2 mph

Session: Happy Hour

P	#	DRIVER	TIME
1	6	C Mostert	1:04.202
2	9	W Davison	1:04.235
3	013	T Nadz	1:04.307
4	888	C Lowndes	1:04.779
5	2	G Tander	1:04.813
6	16	S Pye	1:04.859
7	97	S Van Gisbergen	1:04.892
8	55	D Reynolds	1:05.002
9	5	M Winterbottom	1:05.094
10	1	J Whincup	1:05.215
11	18	J Perkins	1:05.254
12	21	D Wood	1:05.297
13	15	R Kelly	1:05.405
14	8	J Bright	1:05.474
15	33	S McLaughlin	1:05.723
16	14	F Coulthard	1:05.766
17	23	R Ingall	1:05.896
18	222	N Percat	1:05.950
19	360	J Moffat	1:06.006
20	34	R Dahlgren	1:06.146
21	22	J Courtney	1:06.369
22	36	M Caruso	1:06.441
23	17	D Wall	1:06.467
24	4	L Holdsworth	1:06.562
25	7	T Kelly	1:06.595
26	47	T Slade	1:06.757
27	008	J Zolecki	1:12.312
28	021	T Bear	1:16.968
29	061	D Hamilton	1:17.350
30	023	Z Webster	1:17.700

Weather: Cloudy, 57 °F, Northwest 5 mph

Session: Race

F	S	#	DRIVER	INTERVAL	LAPS	LED	POINTS	STATUS
1	1	008	J Zolecki	103.197	41	40*	185	Running
2	4	9	W Davison	-38.60	41	1	175	Running
3	3	888	C Lowndes	-45.76	41	0	165	Running
4	8	97	S Van Gisbergen	-47.76	41	0	160	Running
5	2	1	J Whincup	-48.92	41	0	155	Running
6	7	8	J Bright	-51.31	41	0	150	Running
7	15	16	S Pye	-1L	40	0	146	Running
8	10	14	F Coulthard	-1L	40	0	142	Running
9	14	15	R Kelly	-1L	40	0	138	Running
10	16	33	S McLaughlin	-1L	40	0	134	Running
11	18	47	T Slade	-1L	40	0	130	Running
12	20	22	J Courtney	-1L	40	0	127	Running
13	23	23	R Ingall	-2L	39	0	124	Running
14	5	6	C Mostert	-2L	39	0	121	Running
15	22	4	L Holdsworth	-2L	39	0	118	Running
16	11	21	D Wood	-2L	39	0	115	Running
17	24	7	T Kelly	-2L	39	0	112	Running
18	19	222	N Percat	-2L	39	0	109	Running
19	25	17	D Wall	-2L	39	0	106	Running
20	6	5	M Winterbottom	-2L	39	0	103	Running
21	21	360	J Moffat	-2L	39	0	100	Running
22	26	36	M Caruso	-2L	39	0	97	Running
23	13	2	G Tander	-3L	38	0	94	Valve
24	9	013	T Nadz	-4L	37	0	91	Accident
25	17	18	J Perkins	-4L	37	0	88	Accident
26	12	55	D Reynolds	-4L	37	0	85	Accident
27	28	34	R Dahlgren	-5L	36	0	82	Running
28	29	021	T Bear	-5L	36	0	79	Running
29	30	061	D Hamilton	-12L	29	0	76	Puncture
30	27	023	Z Webster	-19L	22	0	73	Accident

Caution Flags: 0 (0 laps)

Lead Changes: 2 (2 drivers)

Weather: Cloudy, 56 °F, Northwest 7 mph

Pitstop Frequency: 3x

AI Strength: 92%

Thursday, July 13, 2017

Supercars 17 - Oran Park R17-18

We're just about to get into our Endurance segments of the series but, before we do, we take a detour to a non-standard track, Oran Park. This great course is but a memory as it was decommissioned for housing development (I would have suggested New Hampshire first). However, it was a highlight on the schedule for V8 Supercars back as recently as the mid 2000s. The only course to feature a bridge cross-over, it sports two sets of varied elevation esses along with several other "gotchas".

Race 1:

Gurton lead us off the line for Race 1.

I was immediately shot out into the dog leg by Mostert for no perceivable reason.

Where I got stuck in the wall and sat in the pits for over three laps. A great start to the race.

I wouldn't be the only casualty on lap one as Van Gisbergen and Will Davidson ran off together on the back side of the course.

Webster was holding things together for a little while but got caught out by his nemesis, turn 6

At the front, Gurton Buster was passed by Whincup. From there, he took his time as there was no pressure from behind.

I was being less patient once I got back on the track.

Eventually, GB took back the lead and had clean track ahead.

Webster continued to try and grapple with big torque off slow corners. That's not how you get on pit road, Zack.

While passing Pye, I got tapped and racked repeatedly coming off of turn 12.

He took me right into the wall.

And killed me. Not that I was going to gain many positions anyway. What's another couple points lost?

Bear was coming to pit road where he saw Webster having a casual conversation with a race official.

When he did pull in, Mostert came flying up from behind and smashed the hell out of him. I guess he wanted the entire Smith collection.

Buster had a near miss towards the end of the race as he slung by one of the Payce cars.

But he caught it just before rolling into turn two.

It wasn't all trouble-free as Perkins tagged him with a couple to go.

But nothing could stop the indomitable snow man.

Race 2:

The second round started with roles reversed. Although in this case, I was squeezed between the 97 of Shane van Gisbergen and Fabian Coulthard.

Again, Gizzy was left hurting along with Winterbottom.

Pye and Bright also suffered from lap one calamity.

With a chance at the front of the field, I was pushing hard while also getting a little pay back.

But my tires were paying for it and I lost it over the second esses.

But I wasn't alone in the off-roading. Buster barely went wide off of two several laps in. It was enough to allow him to lose the lead.

Other humans were also getting worn tires. Zack Webster was making better strides in Race 2 but would lose it in the same exact spot.

Finally, Gurton would pull a pass for first...

...but oddly lost it coming off of the bridge turn.

I was coming fast but also got knocked around thanks to Courtney.

After a mandatory stop, GB was back at it but a few places down.

And thanks to my earlier stop, I was right there.

With laps winding down, renewed pressure and first place up the road, Buster stopped playing nice with traffic that was really holding him up.

Although he did make clean passes and started pulling away again.

Half a track away, Bear was getting slammed by David Wall for no reason.

After running a conservative, yet prosperous race, Smith was dumped dead in the tires.

Back at the front, Buster plowed over the esses and lost it.

Again the gap closed shut as Will Davidson slipped by.

Shortly after, the position seesawed and we were running two and three.

Whincup was losing speed and the rainbow ride was able to sneak up the inside, clearing before the last set of turns.

But at twelve, things were still really close.

Whincup then nosed up the inside and set Buster around.

A blatant attack that left the two humans knocking together.

A lap later, I caught the Red Bull car and showed less compassion for defensive driving.

As I made tracks, Gurton was making a mad dash to reclaim his lost spots with only a couple laps remaining.

While it was already a tall order to get back to first it wasn't impossible. That's when he got into Lowndes at two.

While he didn't spin out, he lost serious momentum and now had to contend with Webster. The situation was desperate.

Everyone kept their cool and Buster made it by clean.

He then moved up to third and had Whincup in his sites.

That's when the red curtain descended and he let Jamie Whincup have a bowl of steamy vengeance.

Once wasn't enough and he slapped him again into the outside wall as the 1 car recovered. This time, he was hurt badly and lost several spots.

He even managed to hold off Craig Lowndes to the line to take an unlikely second. I meanwhile celebrated by wrecking since I was overdue. For both a wreck and a win, even if it was unlikely and gift wrapped.

We now head to Sandown. So you better take care if Gordan Lightfoot finds you snoopin' around his back stairs.

Race 1